- Kapusta
Kapusta [kah-POOS-tah] , the Russian, Polish, and Slovak word for
cabbage , is a popular dish in Polish cooking and Slovak cooking. Its primary ingredient has been pickled intosauerkraut [http://www.stjoenj.net/polish.html] [http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:olQ9g_cNX1EJ:www.wcas.northwestern.edu/alumni/xc_fall_06.pdf+role+of+Kapusta+in+Polish+cooking&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us] and, in some places, "kapusta" simply refers to this plain sauerkraut. But in many other homes, this base is frequently amplified with a mix of mushrooms and onions, and "that" is what is meant by the term "kapusta". Some cooks also add meat (usually pork, either rib meat orbacon ), [http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1826,144160-237203,00.html] , resulting in what is often calledbigos .In some homes, kapusta is served very thin, almost like a
soup . In others, its ingredients are cooked until it becomes nearly as thick asmashed potatoes .Kapusta is less ubiquitous in Polish cooking than
kimchi is inKorean cuisine , but both serve a similar role in adding bulk to the meal and a background flavor that other foods play off of.
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